Shes the One for Me
by Spawner
Summary: There's a war going on! The war between RumBelle and RedBeauty. Two separate stories in which Rumple/Ruby tries to get Belle to believe that s/he is the one for the librarian. My first OUAT story!
1. Hearts for Gold

**A/N- So this is my first OUAT story! I was thinking of how to get back into writing and BAM! It came to me in the form of this. I wanted both sides to be happy (even though I'm a RedBeauty shipper, it's my gift to you) so if you would be so kind to read BOTH chapters. Thanks :) Reviews are welcome, and would greatly appreciate it! Was thinking of writing something else, so this is my chance to know if I'm going down the right path. All other stories I have currently stopped have been the result of 2 jobs and school. I haven't forgotten about you, but I also haven't had the time. I truly apologize for it, and will try to update ASAP. **

"Belle! Belle!" The library doors were slammed open as the young werewolf came bursting through them.

At that moment, the librarian stocking books nearly jumped out of her skin quickly spinning around to face the culprit who stood not a few feet in front of her."Ruby, slow down! You remember what happened last time you broke the door, didn't you? It took weeks to repair. Poor Marco was in over his head, and I do remember someone grumbling about using their tips to pay for the damage."

Grumbling again, this time for a solely different reason, Ruby rolled her eyes slightly. "It would've been my fault if it were actually me. Maybe I should have asked the wolf to pitch in for that damn door."

Pressing her palm to the woman's cheek in slight affection (which she knew would never mean anything more), Belle giggled at Ruby's quickly flushed skin. "Alright silly. Now what did you come rushing in here for? Unless you're that hyped up to do some serious reading?" An eyebrow raised at this, the shorter woman unable to contain her chuckle.

"Actually...quite the contrary. I have something for you to read."

"For me?" Ruby's heart leaped in her throat at the sounds of excitement from the person she deeply cared for. Her hands snaked around her waist to grab a book out of her bag. She soon realized, as she handed the book to the woman, how difficult it was to stop herself from rambling.

"I uh...I kinda thought you'd might like to know a bit more about...About research from other worlds. It's not what you're used to...Getting lost in other places that make this world seem so...inadequate. It's...informative."

The cover, if you could call it that, was slightly hinged off its spine. Remnants of dust covered the book, but it was obvious that someone had given it a good dose of TLC, possibly in order to impress the person she was going to give it to. And on the cover, in giant Times New Roman font, was the single title that paved a new world of learning.

Stockholm.

Belle's fingers roved over the title, a twinge of mystery and fascination in her eyes as her heart started hammering in her chest at the mere thought of what the containments the book held.

"Well uh...I have to go. I can hear Granny sharpening her knives, and she never does that unless I'm in huge trouble. I'll stop by with dinner later. Sound good?"

"Sounds great. And Ruby?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you." Belle's arms quickly wrapped around her friend's waist, feeling the warmth from their combined body heat. Ruby would never admit how right it truly felt to be in this moment. How being with Belle was absolute bliss.

The taller woman turned around, unable to stop yet another blush from creeping to her cheeks. And with that, the waitress dashed out of the library, afraid if she stayed any longer she would have a much more difficult time leaving.

She came back hours later, the only difference was the tips of her ears. They were beet red. And there was a twinge of blue at the top. Ruby could swear the fingerprint was still there from where Granny dragged her around all day. She had been late as usual, but this time her grandmother came up with a better punishment. Embarrassment. Meaning whenever she needed Ruby for a customer, she'd drag her by the ear. Or the kitchen, by the ear. Or when she needed a spill cleaned up, she'd pinch her fingers on the woman's ear, and dragged her to the mess. Glad for it all to be over, and probably never able to live it down, the waitress needed some reprieve from torture.

"Belle?" Creeping up on the woman behind the desk, she noticed when sharp eyes shot up to stare at her. Or...or was that a glare? Seemed like torture was still in her future.

"You really are something, aren't you Ruby Lucas?" The librarian slammed the book down on the table, shaking her head. "I'm not crazy, and I don't have Stockholm. I simply love him. Isn't that enough?"

But Ruby tried to keep herself from answering, mumbling something incoherent under her breath.

"What was that?"

"I said...I said it's not enough. Because every time he lets you down, every time he lies to you, it's always you who suffers. Not him! He doesn't give a damn, Belle. He's supposed to be your "True Love" but that's not how it works! You don't ignore your True Love, you work with them!"

"And how would you know? How do you presume to know exactly what I want?" Her arms were crossed, and Ruby couldn't see anything but determination to get an answer out of the waitress.

"Because I love you. Because all I really want is your happiness. And with him, you're not happy. You have all the signs, Belle! All of them! You were imprisoned for so long by him that you could've...Just adapted to it..."

"You don't know that. And for Heaven's sake, Ruby! If that were true, then I'd surely be romping around with Regina, don't you think? For twenty-eight years?! You don't know what we have. I'm sorry Ruby. But friends we can be. I'm with Rumple, and I'm not leaving him. But there will always be a special place for you in my heart."

Her hand once more touches the woman's cheek, and she moves it to place a soft kiss there. "You should get going. Don't want to be late again tomorrow."

Nodding her head, the waitress used every ounce of power to refrain the sob that was coming to her lips. "You're right. I'll see you tomorrow. Same time for lunch, right?"

Belle nodded, and couldn't find any more words to say as she watched a heartbroken young werewolf walk out her door. She did love Ruby, but her love for Rumple was strong. He was her True Love. And this time, though his final chance, would be the time he would change. She knew it. She had faith in it. And she believed in it enough to completely stand her ground.

She had to. For her happiness.


	2. Intwined with Ruby

Belle waved to the retreating figure that had just made their way out of the library.

"Bye babe, I love you!" She heard the voice call, and it instantly melted her heart.

It had been almost a year since she and Ruby had started dating. The last chance she had given Rumple had hanged by a thread that was soon snapped. And ever since then, the waitress made it a point to come into her life and cheer her up; something that had resulted in the relationship they had built up to this point.

But never-the-less, she still wanted to remain friends with the man whom she had once perceived to be her True Love. The waitress didn't have a problem with it. She knew Belle was faithful. She had proven it to her so long ago when she refused Ruby's lies about her having Stockholm Syndrome (the fact that she wasn't with Rumple anymore didn't confirm that she ever did; or at least Belle didn't think so).

So when the man she had once been in a strong relationship with walked through the doors of the library, calm and serene, she had no reason to fear him. He had stood his ground and been quite the respectful person when it came to accepting his ex-lover's relationship. Or so it would seem.

"Why hello my dear." He smiled. Not the smile he used to give Belle when they were together and in love, but a more impish smile; it showed his true character. And the librarian either didn't notice it, or overlooked it when dealing with someone she considered to be her friend.

"Rumple!" She walked behind the desk she had been sitting behind and pulled him into a hug. It seemed innocent to her, but to him it felt like a lot more.

She quickly pulled away to stare at him with a confusing gleam in her eye. "What are you doing here? I never thought you would have time from the shop to visit?"

His gaze loomed over her, a grin masking his features. "I always have time to visit.." he gulped, "...a friend."

When that humiliating declaration was over, he snapped his fingers and out of nowhere a book appeared.

"I actually came to bring this to you, my dear. I know its probably something you haven't read before. It's a bit of a mystery, but I'm sure you'll love it. Think of it as something to add to a collection. A gift from...a friend."

The book was almost so perfect, she didn't want to touch it. It was leather-bound, slightly heavy, the pages crisp and sharp. As if the book had never been opened. And on the cover was the title, in gold sewn letters, script lettering.

_My Journey into My Unknown, by Lawrence Talbot._

"Rumple, are you sure you'd want me to have this? It's so precious, I don't want to-" but when she looked up, he was gone.

Hours later, when Ruby had clocked out from her shift at the Diner, she made her trek down the street towards the library, a bag in tow. She had always managed to bring dinner for Belle if either woman was working late. Either she wasn't able to cook, or Belle just didn't have the time to leave. It was when entering the doors made her want to take a step back.

The librarian's curiosity never bothered her. When she wanted to learn new things, Ruby never stopped her from venturing out, like a certain possessive ex-imp did. But now she was having a hard time answering the questions thrown at her.

"Ruby, you _must _tell me more about this side of you!"

"Um, Belle, what are you talking about?"

"This werewolf side! Are you related to Lawrence Talbot? Do you even know about him? What's it like being the wolf? Do you have any memories about it? Did you ever kill anyone..."

"Woah, woah, woah! Slow down there-" Her voice wavered at the last question, unable to keep a whimper from escaping. She had yet to tell the woman she loved about Peter. And she didn't want now to be the time.

"What are you talking about?" She repeated the question, this time her voice barely above the ghost of a whisper.

"This book Rumple gave me. It's so exciting! This man, Lawrence Talbot, was a werewolf, and he talks about all of the experiences he's had as a werewolf. The points where he doesn't remember until the time of his untimely death, which he never died because of the strength of the curse. After that, he was able to control it, and wrote about his times as the wolf."

Ah, so it was the imp that had given her the book. Ruby wasn't pleased to find this out, knowing he had probably planned all of this. Even though he had betrayed her in the past, Belle didn't have a problem trusting her friend (and ex-lover).

"Belle, that book...That's not supposed to be a positive book. Talbot wrote that book because he had figured out about the gene, and he wanted others to know the suffering of the curse. What you went through when you didn't remember the human side you once had. The reason it's so clean and neat and untouched is because the binding is made from silver. He wanted those with the same curse to hopefully die so neither they, nor the people they loved had to deal with what was yet to come. It's harmless now, but in the past they buried it to ensure that no one would get their hands on such a book. The fact that the im-Rumplestilskin knows about it is very strange. But if you wish to read more, just...preserve it. It's a real keepsake in lycanthrope history."

Nodding her head, Belle leaned forward to place a soft kiss upon Ruby's lips. "I will. I'll make sure its stored for future generations to laugh as their werewolf girlfriend's freak out over some random questioning about their other lives."

The next day, when Rumple entered the shop, he was met with Belle's glaring eye. "You knew about the book, didn't you? About how the biding was encased with silver, and about how Talbot originally wrote it to show others what the curse was really like. And how dangerous those who are like Ruby could be?"

He first appeared to look shocked, but knowing that his ploy had been disrupted, he quickly changed appearance. "I guess I had forgotten to mention that little detail."

"It wasn't a little detail, Rumple. I'm not stupid, and I know why you did it. I told you the final straw was when you used magic to hang Emma by a tree from her ankle when you found out she was dating Regina. I'm done. I'm with Ruby, and I love her. And you and I? Us? There is no "us" anymore. I said we could be friends. If you think you can sabotage the relationship we have, then I have some bad news for you. And if you're going to continue down that route, then we can't even be friends anymore. Leave her alone."

"She's dangerous, Belle! She could snap, and kill you, and if that happens, then I wouldn't know what to do. I'd see her dead, but other than that...I'd be lost without you."

"You had your chance. You've had more than one. And to be quite honest? I haven't had to give Ruby an ultimatum. She is who she is. And I love that about her. I am in love with her. And I trust her with everything I have."

He glared at her, truly glared as if he had lost everything. Disappearing away in a puff of purple smoke, his presence was gone.

Belle turned towards the room behind her desk and frowned as she walked in the seemingly vacant room, pulling Ruby by the tips of her ears.

"Ow! Ow! C'mon you know the memories that brings back!"

"And I would appreciate you not listening on our conversation either!" The librarian softly shoved the waitress and she giggled as she ran up the stairs, the waitress quick on her heels to follow.


End file.
